Usual Days
by Lonely-Avenger
Summary: AU normal life fanfic. A usual day wouldn't be usual without life's surprises, which Kenji Hyne and Eiji Shinonome would soon find out. Chapter 1 up! *DISCONTINUED*
1. Prologue: The Coffee Shop

**Usual Days**

A **GUNDAM SEED** story created by **Lonely-Avenger**

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**DISCLAIMER:**

All content of this anime originally belongs to Bandai and Sunrise Agency of Japan, and other legal individuals who have helped make this anime possible (with some exceptions of created characters by the writer). This story is created for the purpose of reading pleasure.

All rights reserved.

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**A/N (Author's Notes):**

Hello, readers, welcome to my second **GUNDAM SEED** story! This story does contain elements from the anime, but instead of real-life war between Naturals and Coordinators, rather, this will be a normal day routine life story for the story's cast.

I've also included all my original characters I introduced in my first **GUNDAM SEED** story (**Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Last Impression**). I won't bother laying down the basic info about them, for you can check them out in the mentioned story above.

Why a normal life story? Well, the idea of my first **GUNDAM SEED** story's two main characters (Kenji Hyne and Eiji Shinonome) stirred up some interesting scenarios. That and checking out the other school stories of the anime by other authors in made me want to try out writing a normal life story. Don't worry, I'll try my best not to make all the characters seem OOC (Out of Character), but all I ask is your support and patience checking this story out.

Well, that's enough of me ranting on! Enjoy reading!

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**Prologue: The Coffee Shop**

Legend

_Word_ denotes character thought

"_Word"_ denotes cell-phone conversation

**Word** denotes setting, time

**-Word- **denotes sound effect

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**Timeline: May 1, C.E. 71; +1200 PM**

**Location: Aprilius City; Shinonome Coffee shop**

IT WAS THE 10TH TIME she'd been in this snazzy coffee shop. It was one of the great hangouts for any teenager like her striving to cope up with the bustling, routine life in Aprilius City.

She had moved in here along with her 17 year old cousin, who reluctantly allowed her to live with him. Her parents were too busy to move along with her, since they were high-profile senators of the government. Instead, they gave their consent and allowed her to live almost independently. They knew it was best for their daughter, and instilled their knowledge and lessons in her mind. With a last family moment, she bade them farewell, and went off to establish her own life.

Having secured a residential premises (which was a modest house of her cousin, who was also rich as her), she then enrolled in Archangel High, a high school with a good reputation of having state-of-the-art facilities, interesting society, and ok education. Surprisingly enough, her cousin was also enrolled there.

Now, before the start of school term in June, she had taken upon herself to cherish her free time. Hanging out in a coffee shop wasn't one of them at first, since she could make her own coffee back in her place. But as she strolled by this coffee shop, something inside changed her mind.

Actually, it was more of _someone_.

So now, there she sat on a comfy chair inside Shinonome Coffee, relishing the flavor of her moderately hot cappuccino, and with her amethyst eyes drinking in the view of the handsome hunk working hard behind the counter, checking out an order from a female customer standing before him and receiving payment for her order.

His silver, short hair swayed about with his movements. His small smile was enough to make any girl swoon dead-first to the floor. His hands worked their magic, fixing up the customer's order. Finishing it up within minutes and placing it inside a secured red cup, he slowly handed it over to the customer, who received it carefully.

"Here you are, miss, one cup of hot chocolate. Be careful carrying it to your table. Enjoy!" he spoke, flashing a small smile to the female customer, who barely mustered enough willpower not to swoon before him. Shaking off the alluring effect of his charm, she nodded with a smile, and went off with her order, searching for her table.

Propping her chin with her right hand, the secret admirer sighed delightedly. Her left hand took a small spoon provided, stirring her cappuccino, with her attention focused exclusively on the silver-haired coffee guy.

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Flexing his worked-up hands and cracking them to ease a bit, the aforementioned young man ran a hand through his silver, short hair. He looked around the shop, checking the satisfied customers enjoying their drinks. A majority of them were female, who frequented the coffee shop for the sole purpose of admiring him.

Next him, a fellow co-worker tied firmly his uniform's apron, noticing his friend's observation. Looking at the female customers inside the coffee shop, then to him, he let out an obvious sigh, feeling sorry for his friend.

_Eiji, I bet you never noticed that most of the customers here are hot, attractive females waiting to jump at you! Man… why do guys like him have all the luck?_

Shaking off his complaint, he went over to him, getting his attention by nudging him on the sides.

"So, checking out the customers as usual, Eiji?" he slyly asked.

The silver-haired young man broke off his train of observation, turning face to his co-worker. He wryly smiled.

"You could say that. Man, I'm beat… mentally of course. I just wish for a small break today so I can sit down and enjoy my own coffee."

"Right… then again, your mother's the reason why you're here, eh?"

Eiji shrugged his shoulders in reply. He leaned himself against the counter, folding his arms. His eyes focused on the above menu.

"Yeah… but she just had to take off all of a sudden, saying to me that it was a year vacation! God only knows where she is now. Add to that, she had to leave her coffee shop's responsibilities to me! Jeez… I'm in high school you know, and I've got too much to accomplish in my hands."

His co-worker patted his shoulder in support.

"I get you, but it'll only be for a year, right? Look on the bright side, 8 more months, and you'll be done with this place! Besides, Roy, Sigurd, and I will always be there for you and this coffee shop."

"**-Sigh-** Yeah… thanks for the thought, Isato, I appreciate it. Where the hell are Roy and Sigurd anyway? We really need all the manpower we can get for this place."

The co-worker named Isato rolled over his eyes, shrugging his shoulders. He sported short black hair, brown eyes, and a lean built.

"You're kidding me, Eiji, this place isn't that big. Well, at least your mom didn't plan on establishing branches in various parts of the city. As to Roy and Sigurd, I got a call from them saying they'll report to work next week. They had some unfinished business to take care of."

Eiji unfolded his arms, setting himself ready behind the counter, waiting for an incoming customer.

"Oh well… there's no use in complaining, Isato. Did you finish cleaning up the instruments? If so, see if you can check for this month's batch of assorted coffee flavors from our supplier."

"Aye-aye, boss, will see to that right now."

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Having finished her cappuccino, the secret admirer pretended to drink more from her finished cup, while trying to keep her gaze at Eiji. Having done so for five times, she was beginning to realize how ridiculous this action was for her. Finally placing down her cup, she tried her best looking like she was waiting for someone instead.

**-RING- -RING-**

The sudden sounds of her cell-phone ringing from within her jeans pocket prompted her to quickly fish it out and answering an incoming call.

"Hello, this is Shiho speaking."

"_Hey cousin…! Where you now…?"_ a male voice inquired, sounding little cocky.

"Oh, it's you, Dearka. I'm in a coffee shop, just about to leave."

"_Uh-huh. Do you want me to pick you up? I'm heading back home early. I've finished getting my class schedule from Archangel High."_

"Class schedule… oh no, shoot! I forgot to get mine today. Um, do you think you could give me a lift back to Archangel High then to home?"

"…_Great… I was beginning to get bored from that place, but ok. I don't have much to do today. Where's this coffee shop you're in?"_

"I'm inside a coffee shop called Shinonome Coffee; it's just a block away from Aprilius Grand Mall. You won't miss it, for it's got a big signboard outside."

"_Ok, I got the address. I'm on my way there within 15 minutes. Stay put."_

With that said, the call ended. Shiho Hahhenfuss keyed her cell-phone finalizing the end of the call, then activating the keypad lock. That act done, she pocketed her cell-phone inside her jeans. She adjusted her blue blouse, trimming down creases, before giving a last look at Eiji.

_I wish I could talk to him, but he seems busy. Despite the delicious cappuccino, I'm getting tired drinking this stuff. It's ruining my appetite._

She gave a reluctant sigh before standing up and pushing her chair slightly away from her, giving space to stand off from it. She took her small, brown leather jacket hung on her chair, then wearing it.

Fate smiled kindly at her today, in the form of Eiji coming up to her table with a small tray and white washcloth, intent on cleaning up her table. He slowly approached her, trying to get her attention.

"Excuse me, miss? You're done here?" he asked.

Shiho glanced at the sudden masculine voice that entranced her. She felt her heart skip a beat, her cheeks flush little, and an inner voice deep down squealing with joy.

_This has to be a dream… he seems much cute up close!_

She mentally slapped herself, regaining her composure, and making sure she wasn't daydreaming. Meanwhile the other female customers sighed enviously, not believing she had all the luck snagging their desired guy.

Eiji suddenly felt himself loss for words at the beautiful girl before him. He couldn't help take notice of her amethyst eyes, which seemed to shimmer. His black eyes quickly took in at her long, dark-brown hair, then traveling to her face. They zoomed in on her lips, which seemed to pucker, inviting him for a kiss. He shook his head, shrugging off desirable thoughts from his mind, before keeping attention to the girl.

_What am I thinking…? This isn't like me to think about a girl. Well, I have to admit, she's beautiful. Her eyes… I've rarely seen amethyst color before. _

The two continued staring each other for a minute, only to be broken off by a question from Eiji. Placing the clean-up tray on her table, he then coughed slightly, trying to hold a chuckle or two, which seemed to escape from his grasp. He awkwardly smiled, rubbing behind his head with his right hand in embarrassment.

"**-Chuckle-** Excuse my rudeness staring at you like that. You seemed spaced out when I asked if you were done with your table."

Shiho nervously smiled, then laughing little to remove some nervousness in her. She shrugged off with her left hand at him.

"Oh no, you don't have to apologize, it isn't your fault. I'm to blame… it's just that I was… surprised hearing you talk to me all of a sudden."

"No problem, miss, I apologize. I sometimes have a small habit of sneaking up to the customers to clean their tables, upon seeing them standing up from their seats and leaving. Most times I needn't ask them if they're done, and I proceed to cleaning. But before I started cleaning your table, you seemed to take long leaving."

A small flush crept up to Shiho's cheeks. She jumped a bit deep down, surprised at her crush able to realize her intention of leaving slowly from her table and taking one last look at him.

_How did he know what I was planning to do? Nah, he can't be psychic. It must be a lucky guess from him._

Noticing her hesitance to reply, and not seeing clearly her small flush, Eiji shrugged both his hands at her, fearing he made offense with his last remark

"Ah, sorry…! I must be talking too much. Well, I won't hinder you any further for I've got tables to clean. You best be on your way, miss. Thanks for your patronage in Shinonome Coffee!"

Then regaining composure, Shiho was about to reply, but noticed his warm smile given to her. He then wiped her table in one motion, placing the white washcloth on the tray, and was about to head back for the counter hadn't been for her placing her hand on his right shoulder, prompting him to turn facing her.

"Yes, miss? How can I help you?"

"**-Giggle-** I'm sorry, you shouldn't have apologized, you didn't make any offense with your talk. Um, I… I wanted to talk to you when I first came in here and had my drink, but you seemed busy at first."

"Oh? Me? That's a start. Well, now we're talking."

Shiho found that last remark funny, and forced a small laugh. Eiji looked quizzically at her with a raised right eyebrow.

"Ok… I must have tickled your funny bone with that remark. I'll wait until you're done laughing."

Holding back another laugh, she coughed little, then keeping attention to him with a smile.

"Ahem… **-giggle-** I didn't notice you had a sense of humor. My name's Shiho… you're…?"

She extended her right hand in front of him for a handshake. He glanced at it then to her, and earnestly accepted with his right hand.

"I'm Eiji, and I run this coffee shop. Originally, it should be my mom handling this place, but she decided to take a year vacation, leaving me in charge."

"Really…? So that's your last name posted outside this coffee shop then?"

Eiji shrugged his shoulders, smiling with embarrassment.

"Right you are, Shiho."

The two were then at loss for words, waiting for one to keep the conversation going. Eiji was the first to continue.

"Well… it's nice to meet you, Shiho. Thanks for your patronage here in Shinonome Coffee! Take care of yourself."

Taking the tray with him, he gave a polite nod to her before heading back to the counter.

Instantly disappointed with the outcome of their conversation, Shiho pouted at his retreating form. Meanwhile, the other female customers sighed with relief, seeing she hadn't stake a claim on their favorite guy. They continued on with their admiring, much to the annoyance, envy, and of few male customers inside the café.

Isato, who had returned back from fulfilling his assigned task his boss asked him to do a moment ago, managed to take a small glimpse of the conversation between his boss and the beautiful brunette, who seemed hesitant to leave. He caught sight of her pouting, then realizing the missed opportunity his boss overlooked. He went to Eiji who set down the tray on the counter behind him.

"Hey boss, you just missed a golden opportunity of a lifetime!" he cried in disbelief.

"Huh…? Opportunity…? What are you talking about, Isato?" Eiji wondered, raising a left eyebrow at his co-worker and folded his arms.

"Heh… boss, you should have seen the look she was giving you! She practically was all over you back there!"

Widening his eyes in surprise at his co-worker's remark, Eiji hurriedly placed his finger on his lips to shut him up.

"Not that loud, you fool! Everyone can hear you!"

Isato shook off his boss's finger from his lips, looking at him with a sly smile. He nudged his side, his thumb jabbing at the direction where Shiho was still standing. His mischievous look then changed into a serious one.

"Eiji, I know you don't have time for another girl ever since... Luna… but… you need to move on. I'm sure she'd want that. And I think God up there is taking kindly on you, and agreeing with me."

Eiji looked grimly at his co-worker, pondering on his words. He then sighed in defeat, looking back at Shiho, who was then leaving the café to wait outside for her ride. He glanced at Isato, shaking his head in wonder.

"Well… I suppose it won't hurt to try… thanks for the pep talk, Isato."

With that said, he immediately left the counter, leaving no chance for his said co-worker to reply. He exited the coffee shop, approaching Shiho, who started waiting for her cousin's ride. He was instantly greeted by the bustling city life, were he found himself immersed amongst the jostling throngs of bystanders passing by and forth. He tapped Shiho's right shoulder, earning a small cry of surprise from the said female teen.

"Oh, hey…! What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be working?" she asked, her voice betraying little joy at seeing her crush in person once again.

Eiji rubbed behind his head with his right hand hesitantly, adding a small smile at her.

"Well… I guess I changed my mind… sorry I broke off our conversation back there, first time for me mingling with customers that long like you. How about we continue our conversation?"

Shiho fidgeted her hands, trying to come up with a better response. She then found an ice-breaker question and was about to speak it out when…

**-BEEP- -BEEP-**

Two honks from a car horn sounded nearby, startling her. She and Eiji looked up to find a beige, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo driven by a short, blond-haired male teen docked in a gray leather jacket, brown long shirt worn underneath, white jeans, and black leather shoes. It parked close to them, with the driver stepping out of the car. He gave a small wave of greeting to them.

"Hey…! I hope am not interrupting between you two... sorry for the wait, cousin. Shall we?" Dearka Elsman chimed.

"You really had to barge in this time… Dearka," Shiho muttered to herself, clicking her tongue annoyed. Setting aside her annoyance for the sudden interruption done by her cousin, she gave a fake smile at him.

"You're three minutes early, Dearka!" she checked her left wristwatch for the time showing the present time --- 12:12 PM, then looking back at him, "This is a surprise."

Dearka shrugged his shoulders, looking blankly at his relative.

"Huh? Well, 'the early bird gets the worm,' as the saying goes. Yo, man! The name's Elsman, Dearka Elsman. I see you've had the good opportunity meeting my cousin Shiho. You're…?"

He walked over to the pair and extended his left hand to Eiji, who warmly accepted it with his.

"I'm Eiji Shinonome. I run this coffee shop behind us, which your cousin made her patronage several times," he then glanced at Shiho and gave her a left wink, "speaking of which, that's 10 times now I count."

Shiho could feel another blush creeping up her cheeks at his remark. She nervously smiled, feeling surprised deep down.

_Did he actually take notice me of all those times I went in his coffee shop? And he even could recall the exact number of times I've been there!_

After shaking hands and scratching his right cheek, Dearka raised a right eyebrow, looking interested at his cousin. His eyes darted back and forth from her to Eiji.

"I didn't know you're into coffee, cousin… now I see why."

At another instant, Shiho's face would have resembled the color of a tomato, as she prayed to the heavens for a hole to dig up and hide herself into. She purposely elbowed Dearka at his sides, knocking some wind out of him.

"Oof…! Hey!" he chimed jokingly.

Amused by the sight of the two cousins' interactions, Eiji laughed warm-heartedly for the first time in his life. After his laugh ended, he was amazed by his recent action, feeling a small surge of happiness coursing through him.

_Funny… I've never laughed like this before until now. Next I'm beginning to feel… relieved somehow… as if a small burden was lifted off of me._

He shook the thought off from his mind, focusing attention on the bickering cousins in front of him.

Partially satisfied to have inflicted deserved 'punishment' at her cousin, Shiho collected her composure, taking a deep breath. She shyly looked at her crush, as she prepared herself to accomplish her next course of action.

"Well… my ride's here, thanks to my cousin," she gave an unintended cold glare (one that could rival **GUNDAM WING** character Heero Yuy's) at Dearka, motioning him to get back in his car and prep it up. Not wanting to incur a young lady's wrath any further, he took the message and gave a small wave of good-bye to Eiji, heading back inside his car.

Pocketing his hands in his white pants after returning Dearka's wave with his, Eiji turned his attention to the beautiful girl in front of him, adding a small smile.

"**-Chuckle-** You two must be real close, having a healthy relationship like that."

Shiho quickly shook her head, adding a cry of disbelief.

"As if… but ignoring his cocky personality aside, he's been a good cousin to rely on."

She then fished out her cell-phone from her jeans pocket, looking shyly at her crush.

"I'd like to chat with you some more, but I've got to go. I was wondering… if you'll take down my cell-phone number. You could give me a call… I mean, if you're not busy or anything."

"Oh… sure, that's fine by me. Let me get my cell-phone out of my pants pocket."

Eiji fished out of his right pants pocket his cell-phone, which turned out to be the same model as Shiho's (a Nokia 6260!), but only red in color. He opened it, switching off the keypad lock, ready to key in her cell-phone number.

Shiho was surprised again seeing her crush's cell-phone being the same model and brand as hers, except hers was blue in color. She shook off her surprise and continued with the task at hand.

"**09161625776** is my cell-phone number."

After giving her cell-phone number, she pocketed back inside her pant

"Ok… got it. I'll drop by a text soon, and you can get my cell-phone number from there," Eiji registered the given cell-phone number and key-pad locked his cell-phone, closing it and pocketing it back inside his right pants pocket, "It's been nice meeting you, Shiho, even though it was short. I hope we can meet again."

Not knowing what to do after giving that remark, Eiji cautiously stepped closer to Shiho face-to-face, until he could smell a lovely fragrance from her.

_Perfume… that's a lovely one, I might add._

He then took hold of her hands, and kissed them gently. He looked back at her with care. Suddenly, an image of another female teen flashed before him --- replacing Shiho's hair with a long, crimson one; her amethyst eyes turned into baby blue ones, while her skin seeming was clear and white.

_Lunamaria… _

Deep down, he shook off the small shock at imaging his first love replacing Shiho.

Meanwhile, Shiho was in cloud nine as she felt his tender lips pressing gently on her hands. Add to his close proximity where she could feel his breath tickling her little, and she could have died happily on the spot.

Sadly, the happiness didn't last long… ok, maybe a few seconds the most, when she watched Eiji let go of her hand and took a small step back from her, watching her still. She gave an earnest smile at him.

"Thank you, Eiji."

With that said, her left hand fumbled behind her, feeling for Dearka's Mitsubishi Lancer Evo passenger door handle, and then opening it. She sadly climbed in and took her seat, closing the passenger door after her. She reached for the seat belt and buckled up, and looked outside her window at Eiji. She gave a small wave of good-bye.

He returned her good-bye with his as he waved back, watching the beige Mitsubishi Lancer Evo slowly leaving from its parking area until it disappeared amongst the traffic of Aprilius City.

Eiji then sighed, pocketing his hands in his white pants. He looked up at the sky, where several tall buildings jutted upwards to the heavens. He could make a small glimpse of the afternoon sun shining down on the bustling metropolis of Aprilius City. He looked back down, turning around and heading back inside his coffee shop.

"A usual day… I suppose. A usual day…" he muttered to himself as he was welcomed back by the warm atmosphere inside Shinonome Coffee.

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**CLOSING NOTES:**

Whew…! Now that was a long prologue to begin with. First off readers, I'd like to make clear of several things mentioned in this prologue:

First, the setting… I'll be pretty much basing some story elements of the anime in this story. This will strictly be a normal life story. No wars, no such thing as Coordinators or Naturals, etc. Ok, maybe some of the terms will be applied, but in a different sense. I'll clear that up as the story goes on.

Second, the cell-phone numbers… I'll admit it (and reveal little about myself, in case you haven't check my author's profile before I re-formatted it), I'm Filipino, and I've been used to my country's own cell-phone and telephone numbers and their number of digits. Clearly, since this anime is from Japan (duh), it should be using the Japanese system. To be honest, I'm not sure what the system looks like, so I'll have to be doing some researching first. For the meantime (and temporarily until I revise them), I'll be using the Philippine cell-phone and telephone system then.

Thirdly and lastly, in regards with original characters used from my first **GUNDAM SEED **story (**Mobile Suit Gundam SEED: Last Impression**), if you'll be having trouble knowing them, you'll have to read the mentioned story above to get a clear picture of what I have in store for those original characters. I'll be introducing some of them as the chapters roll on…

Until then, I'll be churning out the next chapter soon (can't say the definite time though). As always, your reviews are welcome, whether they're praises, criticisms, or whatever (just no weird messages, please, I've been getting rarely one or so from some reviewers, I'm not sure who, but I'm just saying this as a warning).

Thanks for reading.


	2. Ch1: Park Acquaintance

**Usual Days**

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**Chapter 1: Park Acquaintance**

Legend

_Word_ denotes character thought

"_Word"_ denotes cell-phone conversation

**Word** denotes setting, time

**-Word- **denotes sound effect

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**Timeline: May 2, C.E. 71; +1300 PM**

**Location: Aprilius City; Park**

It was a sunny afternoon in the city park. Several people relaxed about throughout all the areas of the park, getting away from their hectic schedules in their lives and wanting to take a break for a change.

Amongst them, one young man, docked in all-white clothing consisting of a sleeveless overcoat, long sleeve shirt, pants, and brown leather shoes, leisurely strolled by, his hands pocketed inside his pants. The front bangs of his short, spiked brown hair sometimes obscured his view, prompting him to brush them away with his left forefinger. His blue eyes shimmered, which were his unique asset that highlighted his handsome self, as they drew curious stares and flirty smiles from several attractive women passing by his way.

"Did you see him? He's so hot!"

"**-Sigh-** He's so dreamy..."

Able to hear their remarks within an earshot, the young man smiled to himself as he continued his stroll. Taking a stroll through the city park was one of his daily routines, as he liked to keep himself fit everyday. He checked his watched strapped to his left wrist for the current time --- 1:05 PM.

_5 minutes since I started today's stroll. Hmm… what to do…?_

Pondering on his next move, he saw a nearby bench and sat down on it, taking out his hands and propping both arms resting lazily on his left and right, which seemed to a third person's view that he was hogging the bench to himself. However, that wasn't the case when an elderly man around his 60's suddenly approached by, looking first at him. Held in his right hand was a brown cane for support.

"Excuse me, lad, would you allow an old man to take a seat?"

"Oh…? Of course, sir, please take a seat here, I don't mind. I don't plan on having this bench to myself, please…"

The young man then gestured the elderly man to take a seat next him, who gladly accepted and rested his left hand over his right as he sat down with a contented sigh. He then slowly took a glance at the youngster seated next him, taking notice of his nearly all-white clothing. Feeling his gaze, the young man met his with a concerned face.

"Yes? Is something the matter?" he inquired.

"Um… I can't help but notice your white clothing, lad. I suppose that's a new fashion trend these days."

"**-Chuckle-** No, it's not the case, sir. White is my favorite color, and it's my personal style wearing this type of clothing. Does this offend you?"

"Oh, ho, ho, ho… relax, lad, I don't find offense looking at that. I was just curious, that's all."

Seeing the elderly man then looking away from him and minding his own business, the young man directed his attention on several small families enjoying each other's company. He warmly smiled at the sight of family bonding when he remembered his family. At that instant, his smile was broken, as he felt a lingering ache in his heart.

_Sigh… I wish I'd meet my parents… _

Truth be told, the young man's only family was his distant uncle, Peter Hyne, who was his late mom's brother. The mentioned man adopted him as his son, seeing he was the only living relative. A scientific genius, Peter Hyne specialized in nanotechnology, where he'd hope to incorporate it into a medical breakthrough. The young man found out from him about his parents being also scientists. Other from that, he could get nothing much about his parents from his uncle, who promised to reveal all in a proper time.

Dismissing further thoughts of his late parents, the young man continued his gazing around the park.

_I'll probably enjoy this moment a bit longer…_

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Meanwhile, from the other side of the park, a young lady walked inside, also enjoying an afternoon stroll. Her long, pink hair graced about with her movements, as the hem of her knee-length blue skirt swayed about with her slow walking. Her hands were on top of each other, then resting on her stomach, as she felt the soft breeze of the afternoon wind brushing her matching blue vest worn over a pink shirt.

Some young teen couples noticed her presence, with the males somehow entranced by her presence, much to the dismay of their girlfriends, who eagerly dished out their awaiting punishments at them instantly.

Not minding them, the pink-haired princess continued her stroll, taking a deep breath of preserved nature and atmosphere of the place, and breathing out.

"Ah… what a nice day for a stroll in the park…" she remarked cheerfully.

**-RING- -RING-**

The ringing of her cell-phone prompted her attention to it, as she stopped and took it out of her small pink purse worn around her left shoulder. She pressed the answer button on the cell-phone, starting the receiving call.

"Hello?"

"_Lacus…! Are you in the park now?"_ a concerned, deep male voice inquired.

The pink-haired princess, Lacus Clyne, widen her eyes in recognition of the voice, her lips curved up slightly.

"Father…! Yes I am in the park. How are you? Where are you now?"

"_Thank goodness. Ok, please wait for me there, I'm coming ASAP. I'm in my head office here in the central district, being swamped with paperwork as usual."_

"Oh… that must be a lot of work for you."

"_**-Chuckle-** Don't worry about it, I'll get by as always. If I can't be there by 30 minutes, I'll send my personal assistant to pick you up. When are your classes by the way? And which school was that also?"_

"Ok, father, I'll wait here, I don't have other plans for the rest of the day. Also, my classes will start by next month. Father, I can't believe you forgot the name of my high school! It's called Archangel High!"

"_Ho, ho, ho… just kidding, of course I remember your high school. Besides, I'm the one paying for your education, so I have to know. Oh, I've got to go now dear, I'm needed for a board meeting with the city councilor. If there's any problem, you have the cell-phone number of my personal assistant. If you're going back home early, then let me know."_

"I understand, father. Bye! I love you always."

"_Me too, Lacus… please take care out there."_

With that said, Lacus ended her conversation with her father Siegel Clyne, who was Aprilius City's current mayor. The general public knew the fact their mayor having a daughter, but unfortunately didn't see her picture, not knowing what she looked like. So to them, Lacus was any other civilian, unless she introduced herself that is. The pink-haired princess closed her cell-phone, placing it back inside her purse worn around her left shoulder when suddenly…

"Thanks lady!" a rough voice spoke out of nowhere, startling her. At that instant, a mean-looking mugger approached behind Lacus and made a grab for her purse. Taking advantage of her surprise, he ripped his target roughly from her hands, giving her no chance to fight back. He quickly made a mad dash towards the other side of the park, where it had less security.

"Hey…! Stop! Help…!" Lacus screamed helplessly. Nearby bystanders witnessed the event, appalled by an act occurring in a supposed secured place of the city. Suddenly, the heavens heard her call, giving her answer in the form of a park security guard approaching her from his station (which was near the park entrance Lacus had just entered from) after noticing the gathering crowd around Lacus.

"Miss, are you alright? What happened?" the security guard asked her alarmingly.

The pink-haired princess tugged at his right sleeve of his security guard uniform and began dragging him along with her in a sudden sprint.

"Someone stole my purse. Please help me!" she exclaimed.

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After finishing his observation of people in the park from his seat, the young man decided to walk around, stretching his body to remove little stiffness from seating down on one spot for too long. He stood up and gave a polite good-bye to the elderly man he had shared the bench with. The two exchanged small smiles of courtesy, before the young man parted ways.

His eye suddenly caught sight of the park's central water fountain, a large, oval shape object firing off a dazzling display of waterworks in a spherical look. Fascinated by the display, he walked close to it, watching it with few bystanders nearby. He pocketed his hands in his pants, standing upright.

_Nice pattern… the city mayor really focused on improving the park's quality and look. _

Alas, fate came knocking in, interrupting his quiet moment… that is, in the form of a mean-looking mugger, with a small pink purse in hand, suddenly pushing his way through some of the bystanders, knocking one or two down to the ground.

Followed next was a shrill whistle belonging to a park security guard, with an entrancing pink-haired female teen following behind him. They were in hot pursuit of the suspect.

"Stop thief!" the park security guard warned.

But as natural laws dictate, a hard-headed thief wouldn't be stupid enough to obey that order, such as this one mentioned in this chapter here. From a distance, the mugger could make out the park's other exit as he hoped he could make it there.

Unfortunately, he forgot to focus on what immediately popped in front of him --- a white-sleeved left arm.

**-WHAM-**

Flipping down he went as his neck made contact with the arm, and landing painfully face first on the concrete ground of the park's path road he was running on. His landing position mirrored that of a bird spreading its wings (his arms and legs were spread out).

**-THUD-**

"Ugh…" the mugger croaked painfully, as he felt the wind taken out of him. He shakily reached for his neck, slowly rubbing it to try easing the sudden pain registering from there. The small, pink purse he was carrying was now in the mysterious attacker's right hand, as he flexed his left arm before dropping it down to his sides.

Bystanders crowded around the scene, amazed at the sudden turn of events that happened before them now. What amazed them more was the mysterious attacker turning out to be the young man who immediately popped in the mugger's escape path and extended his left arm, bringing it on contact with the mugger's neck, almost about to take his head off with the force. Then, at the same time, he received the snatched small, pink purse. Several of the bystanders craned their faces into pained looks as they watched the mugger writhing down the ground in pain.

"Holy… did you see that?"

"Shit, he almost clobbered the guy's head off! And he just stepped in front of him and did so in the exact time… as if he anticipated it! And he even got that snatched small, pink purse back from him!"

"Ho, ho, ho… ah, it feels good to be young."

"This young man stopped this awful mugger! If it weren't for him, he would have gotten away with that small pink purse belonging to that young, pink-haired girl over there with a park security guard."

Not heeding the bystanders' remarks, the aforementioned hero adjusted the collar of his white sleeveless overcoat, and ran a hand through his brown, short spiked hair, adjusting it. He eyed the injured mugger warily.

_Whew… made it just in time. Scum like his caliber shouldn't be allowed to prey on innocent people enjoying their leisurely time here in the city park. I hope I didn't break his neck, though._

The park security guard brought out a pair of handcuffs from a small pouch attached to his black leather belt, fitting them on the mugger's wrists. He roughly helped him up to his feet, holding him firmly by his shoulders from behind.

"You picked the wrong place and time to do this, buddy," he remarked to the dazed criminal, who was slowly gathering composure. The park security guard turned to the young man, giving him a quick, right handshake while holding firmly the mugger with his left hand. He nodded affirmatively at him.

"Thank you for your assistance. If it weren't for you, he would have made off with this young lady's pink purse. He had us chasing after him from a few blocks. I didn't imagine he'd bolt for the other exit," he spoke.

The young man shook his head and gave a small wave of his right hand at him in disagreement.

"He suddenly dashed in amongst the crowd with that pink purse in his hand. I didn't want to let him get away, so I did what I thought was right, that's all."

Then, another park security guard quickly pushed through the gathering crowd, meeting up with his partner. He looked at the cuffed mugger then to him.

"Mugging…?"

"Yeah… he had us running for a while until this kind young man stepped in and stopped him in his tracks."

The second park security guard faced the brown-haired young man, giving his thanks. He looked at the pink-haired female teen standing next him, asking her confirmation regarding the original possession of the pink purse.

"Well, miss, can you drop by the park station later so that you can give your statement regarding this matter? It's official paperwork you see, when it comes to crimes."

Lacus nodded in reply.

"We're open until 12 midnight, but you can drop by now. The earlier, the better, so that we won't have to detain you any further," the second park security guard looked around the gathering crowd waving off to break them, "ok, folks, show's over. Please resume with your business. Thank you."

With that said, the crowd of bystanders then slowly dispersed, resuming on with their business in the park. The two park security guards proceeded to escort the cuffed mugger to the park station, where he'd be jailed for his crime.

That left the brown-haired young man and Lacus alone, with the pink-haired princess shyly looking at him with a smile. She gave a small bow, expressing her gratitude.

"Thank you very much, mister. I didn't know what to do if my purse was gone. It contained all my important stuff I carried."

"Oh, um… I did what I must. My advice for you is to be always on guard whenever you go out, and never keep all your important belongings in that purse. And lastly, you might want to reconsider its color; bright colors tend to attract unwanted attention."

Lacus smiled again, feeling little embarrassed for being reprimanded by this mysterious brown-haired young man. She couldn't help but notice his blue eyes, the first thing pulling her close. Next, her gaze traveled from his eyes to the contours of his face, which looked surprisingly smooth and clear for a guy in her age. Her interest on him peaked further as she noticed his almost all-white clothing. His brown hair was short, seemingly spiked up little, which accentuated a free-spirited look.

And when she summed up an overall picture of him, she recognized one fact --- he was definitively handsome.

The young man then remembered the pink purse clutched in his right hand. He snapped out Lacus's reverie by gently shaking her by her left shoulder, earning a soft cry of surprise from the said female teen. He handed back her pink purse.

"This rightfully belongs to you, miss."

"Thank you, mister…?"

The young man extended his right hand in front of her, which she gladly accepted. At the sudden contact of his hand, her temperature seemed to climb up little.

"I'm Kenji Hyne. You are…?"

Lacus gave a warm smile at him.

"Lacus… Lacus Clyne."

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Minutes later and inside the park security station, which was a few blocks away from the central water fountain of the park, Lacus dispense with paperwork containing her official statement regarding the mugging incident happened a moment ago. She handed the paperwork, which was a page long, to the station's female security, who accepted it with a smile. She bade the pink-haired princess good-bye as she watched her leave the station. Along the way, Lacus thanked the two park security guards who helped her out in retrieving her snatched pink purse. Exiting the station, she stumbled upon the brown-haired young man whom she met before waiting outside for her.

"Oh, hello, Kenji…! What are you doing here?"

Kenji scratched his right cheek with his right forefinger, coming up with an appropriate reply.

"I wanted to check up on you after that mugging incident. So, you're done with the official paperwork the park security asked you to write?"

Lacus nodded, clasping her hands together.

"Yes, it didn't take that long. Oh my…" she then checked a watch strapped to her left wrist for the current time --- 14:00 PM, "I'm afraid I have to go, someone will come to pick me up."

With a slight nod to her, Kenji pocketed his hands in his pants. He wanted to strike up a conversation with her now, but it seemed she had other plans.

"I see. Well, it's nice to meet you, Lacus. But do take care when going out to parts of the city like the park."

The pink-haired princess bowed slightly to him in respect, feeling touched by his concern for her well-being, even though he was a stranger. She then flashed a warm smile at him.

"Thank you for your advice. Perhaps we'll meet again."

With that said, she watched him part ways from her. At that same moment, a female voice called out to her from nearby.

"Lacus, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

Lacus turned around to the voice, finding a woman sporting a long, brown hair, green eyes, and a well-to-do look. She was dressed in semi-business attire consisting of a red blouse and gray knee-length skirt. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be around her mid-20s. The young woman quickly approached her side.

"Are you alright? Why were you exiting the park security building just now? What happened?" she fired off a series of concerned questions.

"**-Sigh-** Marie, there's no need to worry, I'm ok. Someone tried to steal my purse, but a kind gentleman stepped in and stopped him, retrieving my purse back for me. I just parted ways with him now."

The stated woman was Marie Ashcroft, Siegel Clyne's personal assistant. She was a reliable person who saw to every job assigned to her done. Currently, her assignment now was to pick up her boss's daughter and drop her off home. Wiping off her forehead in one motion with her right hand, she continued her attention on Lacus.

"Goodness, mugging…? And at the time of this day… really, I better suggest to your father regarding the park security here. Speaking of which, who was that young man you were talking with before? I managed to catch a small glimpse of him from a distance, when I finally spotted you from the central fountain area."

The woman's character really made the pink-haired princess fond of her, based on her remark just now. She knew better that she could trust her with anything. Fighting the urge to laugh at the thought, Lacus gave an easy-going smile.

"Apparently, he was the one who helped retrieve my purse back. His name is Kenji Hyne."

Marie raised a left eyebrow at the name, seemingly interested.

"Kenji Hyne… hmm… that name sounds familiar. I can't put my finger on it, though. Well, it's good to know that you're safe. Come on, I'll drop you off home. It seems your father wasn't able to get off early from today's meeting with the city councilor, sorry."

Lacus shook her head in reply.

"I understand the nature of my father's work. Besides, it's important to him. Shall we go?"

"Oh, right, of course… come on."

With that said, Marie proceeded to lead the pink-haired princess to her parked car waiting outside the city park. Along the way there, Lacus couldn't help but ponder on the young man she just made her acquaintance with.

_Kenji Hyne… my, what a kind gentleman…_

She could recall the image of his face, down to his small smile. Remembering it made her cheeks slowly flush.

_I never knew he was quite a handsome gentleman by the way. I hope we meet again._

Deep down, she made a silent prayer to the heavens, hoping for her wish to be granted.

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**Timeline: May 2, C.E. 71; +1500 PM**

**Location: Aprilius City; Hyne Residence**

Closing the front door and locking it after him, Kenji Hyne found himself in a modest studio-type apartment facing the metropolis. It had been home to him and his uncle Peter Hyne since the start of his high school.

"I'm home…" he remarked quietly. His eyes widen little in surprise as they fixed on a small brown suitcase perched nearby the front door. At the exact moment, his said uncle stepped in view coming from the bathroom, dressed in a white coat worn above a blue polo, belted blue jeans, and brown leather shoes. He seemed ready for travel.

"Well, you seemed ready to go. Where are you off to, uncle?" Kenji inquired, interested.

Peter's face twisted in reluctance, not wanting to voice out his real reason of leaving. But seeing his beloved nephew standing before him made the weight even heavier. With a defeated sigh, he shrugged his shoulders.

"Kenji… I don't know how to say this. But… there's been a change of plans."

The younger Hyne was awe-struck by the statement. But then, only one word registered out of his mouth.

"Huh…?"

"**-Sigh-** Kenji, I'm afraid I can't watch over you any longer, as much as I wanted to. It seemed my work is calling out to me. I got a call from a long-time friend… his name is Aile Kato. He asked me for my help regarding an important research project he's concocting off in the Mendel Institute."

Needless to say, Kenji was shocked at the news.

"I've arranged for you to live with my sister's family… her name's Via Hyne."

Yep, it was another shocker for the young Hyne.


End file.
